Plants 3-10 dm, from bulbs; bulbs often clumped, tunicate, ovoid, 20-60 × 18-50 mm. Leaves: proximal blades 18-60 cm × 3-25 mm. Inflorescences paniculate, 10-80-flowered, with 2-10 branches, 3-40 × 2-8 cm. Flowers: perianth hypogynous, 12-20 mm diam.; tepals persistent in fruit, cream colored, elliptic to ovate, 5-10 × 2-4 mm, outer not clawed, often persistently reflexed below mature capsule; gland 1, obovate, distal margins evident, dentate; filaments straight, shorter than tepals, thickened proximally; pedicel ascending in flower, perpendicular to stem in fruit, 10-35 mm, bracts green and foliaceous to white and membranous, 3-25 mm. Capsules 9-20 × 4-9 mm. 2n = 22.

Flowering Apr--Jun. Sierra Nevada foothill woodlands, yellow pine forests; 0--1200 m; Calif.